Grant for "green spaces" after grass-cutting reductions in Herefordshire

A GRANT is on offer to help community groups maintain and improve “green spaces” in their area following a reduction to grass-cutting in the county.

It is a step in the right direction according to Hereford’s Sean Edwards.

Parkland near his Kings Acre home has been largely overgrown for many weeks and, although cut on Tuesday this week, he wants to see the mowers out more regularly.

Mr Edwards, who also manages Westfields FC, said: “My son goes out to play with friends but they haven’t been out here for four or five weeks.

“The council can waste a six figure sum paying outside auditors to tell them they are £200 million in debt but can’t find the money to keep our grass verges and parks cut.

“How are the working people of Hereford to blame if the council can’t manage their budget? Someone needs to be accountable within the council, not the tax-paying public.”

Community groups that are interested in applying for the small grant – which will help with the costs of developing and implementing projects to improve the local environment – can visit Herefordshire Council’s website.

Councillor Rone added: “While we still need to stay within budget and – provide essential services for the more vulnerable, I think that the effects of a reduction in grass cutting, particularly given the weather conditions, needs to be addressed.

“I have therefore asked Balfour Beatty to bring forward their grass cutting programme. I have also identified a number of high priority areas in consultation with local councillors for additional cuts.

“This will focus on play areas and parks in Hereford and the market towns over the next few weeks to get them ready for the school summer holidays.”

Herefordshire Council said that, across the rural road network, Balfour Beatty has continued to keep the highway safe by cutting the visibility splays, carrying out weed spraying and maintaining the trees.

However, there will now be an additional cut across the whole network starting at the end of July to tidy things up before the autumn.

Details of the revised grass cutting schedules are available on the council website.

Comments

How are the working people of Hereford to blame if the council can’t manage their budget? Someone needs to be accountable within the council, not the tax-paying public.

Couldnt have said it better myself!

How are the working people of Hereford to blame if the council can’t manage their budget? Someone needs to be accountable within the council, not the tax-paying public.
Couldnt have said it better myself!dplcv37

How are the working people of Hereford to blame if the council can’t manage their budget? Someone needs to be accountable within the council, not the tax-paying public.

Couldnt have said it better myself!

Score: 14

Moreteavicar?
12:26pm Mon 14 Jul 14

Sean Edwards -
“The council can waste a six figure sum paying outside auditors to tell them they are £200 million in debt but can’t find the money to keep our grass verges and parks cut.

“How are the working people of Hereford to blame if the council can’t manage their budget? Someone needs to be accountable within the council, not the tax-paying public.”

I think he will find the Council is required by law to carry out the audit and by a prescribed company. Therefore it has no control over the cost of the audit.

Sean Edwards -
“The council can waste a six figure sum paying outside auditors to tell them they are £200 million in debt but can’t find the money to keep our grass verges and parks cut.
“How are the working people of Hereford to blame if the council can’t manage their budget? Someone needs to be accountable within the council, not the tax-paying public.”
I think he will find the Council is required by law to carry out the audit and by a prescribed company. Therefore it has no control over the cost of the audit.Moreteavicar?

Sean Edwards -
“The council can waste a six figure sum paying outside auditors to tell them they are £200 million in debt but can’t find the money to keep our grass verges and parks cut.

“How are the working people of Hereford to blame if the council can’t manage their budget? Someone needs to be accountable within the council, not the tax-paying public.”

I think he will find the Council is required by law to carry out the audit and by a prescribed company. Therefore it has no control over the cost of the audit.

Score: -6

dippyhippy
2:48pm Mon 14 Jul 14

But did they really need to spend 8 million on a new archive building, 3 million tarting up Plough Lane HQ, and another 2.6 million on a revamp for the Shire Hall??
Not to mention the incredibly costly incinerator project, which many believe to be outdated technology, the Link Road and associated costs of CPO's and a multitude of other "money saving" ideas??

If this is their idea of "saving money" and "prioritising" it's little wonder there's no money left in the pot!

There's less than 12 months until the election......show them that we will not tolerate this madness anymore. Vote Them Out!

But did they really need to spend 8 million on a new archive building, 3 million tarting up Plough Lane HQ, and another 2.6 million on a revamp for the Shire Hall??
Not to mention the incredibly costly incinerator project, which many believe to be outdated technology, the Link Road and associated costs of CPO's and a multitude of other "money saving" ideas??
If this is their idea of "saving money" and "prioritising" it's little wonder there's no money left in the pot!
There's less than 12 months until the election......show them that we will not tolerate this madness anymore. Vote Them Out!dippyhippy

But did they really need to spend 8 million on a new archive building, 3 million tarting up Plough Lane HQ, and another 2.6 million on a revamp for the Shire Hall??
Not to mention the incredibly costly incinerator project, which many believe to be outdated technology, the Link Road and associated costs of CPO's and a multitude of other "money saving" ideas??

If this is their idea of "saving money" and "prioritising" it's little wonder there's no money left in the pot!

There's less than 12 months until the election......show them that we will not tolerate this madness anymore. Vote Them Out!

Score: 19

Herefordian Meldrew
9:48am Tue 15 Jul 14

In 2013 the Council published a list of salaries that included six posts in Sustainable Communities area with a cost to the ratepayer of £470,327 out of a total salary cost of £1,883,500.00 and at around the same time I was stopped by a researcher for a Council Survey in Maylord Orchards asking what I understood of Sustainability. I answered that it meant not using more than could be naturally replaced and that meant the Council should not spend more than its Ratepayers could afford, well that fell on deaf ears! In the recent past our illustrious group have run up debts of £200 million not to mention the latest Whitecross Academy PFI blunder, forgone the £50 million payback from the New Market Developers, given the Councillors IPads and the waste other readers have identified. A considerable amount was spent on feasibility studies and architects drawings for our much loved Butter Market only for it to come to nought and be put on the "For Sale" list, the money spent on the exercise would have probably paid for a facelift!
Yes we need to vote them out but who will be worth voting in? Since the Councillors have been paid it seems to me that it has been an early retirement option for people from the public sector, old nationalised industries and political bag carriers. We need thinkers, visionaries, successful business people who understand the problems and are able to lead us into the future not nodders in and people who constantly bring in consultants! There are such people in this county and we can only hope they will throw their hats into the ring. In the meanwhile the grass will continue to grow, the ryegrass overcoming the other grasses in the mix making it all but impossible to ever put right with visitors hopping from one leg to the other looking for a toilet and the Council making grants for others to do what they once stopped them doing, perhaps for an entrepreneurial "Rent a Loo" company to set up alongside the coffee companies in High Town. The Town I love is literally in the effluent!

In 2013 the Council published a list of salaries that included six posts in Sustainable Communities area with a cost to the ratepayer of £470,327 out of a total salary cost of £1,883,500.00 and at around the same time I was stopped by a researcher for a Council Survey in Maylord Orchards asking what I understood of Sustainability. I answered that it meant not using more than could be naturally replaced and that meant the Council should not spend more than its Ratepayers could afford, well that fell on deaf ears! In the recent past our illustrious group have run up debts of £200 million not to mention the latest Whitecross Academy PFI blunder, forgone the £50 million payback from the New Market Developers, given the Councillors IPads and the waste other readers have identified. A considerable amount was spent on feasibility studies and architects drawings for our much loved Butter Market only for it to come to nought and be put on the "For Sale" list, the money spent on the exercise would have probably paid for a facelift!
Yes we need to vote them out but who will be worth voting in? Since the Councillors have been paid it seems to me that it has been an early retirement option for people from the public sector, old nationalised industries and political bag carriers. We need thinkers, visionaries, successful business people who understand the problems and are able to lead us into the future not nodders in and people who constantly bring in consultants! There are such people in this county and we can only hope they will throw their hats into the ring. In the meanwhile the grass will continue to grow, the ryegrass overcoming the other grasses in the mix making it all but impossible to ever put right with visitors hopping from one leg to the other looking for a toilet and the Council making grants for others to do what they once stopped them doing, perhaps for an entrepreneurial "Rent a Loo" company to set up alongside the coffee companies in High Town. The Town I love is literally in the effluent!Herefordian Meldrew

In 2013 the Council published a list of salaries that included six posts in Sustainable Communities area with a cost to the ratepayer of £470,327 out of a total salary cost of £1,883,500.00 and at around the same time I was stopped by a researcher for a Council Survey in Maylord Orchards asking what I understood of Sustainability. I answered that it meant not using more than could be naturally replaced and that meant the Council should not spend more than its Ratepayers could afford, well that fell on deaf ears! In the recent past our illustrious group have run up debts of £200 million not to mention the latest Whitecross Academy PFI blunder, forgone the £50 million payback from the New Market Developers, given the Councillors IPads and the waste other readers have identified. A considerable amount was spent on feasibility studies and architects drawings for our much loved Butter Market only for it to come to nought and be put on the "For Sale" list, the money spent on the exercise would have probably paid for a facelift!
Yes we need to vote them out but who will be worth voting in? Since the Councillors have been paid it seems to me that it has been an early retirement option for people from the public sector, old nationalised industries and political bag carriers. We need thinkers, visionaries, successful business people who understand the problems and are able to lead us into the future not nodders in and people who constantly bring in consultants! There are such people in this county and we can only hope they will throw their hats into the ring. In the meanwhile the grass will continue to grow, the ryegrass overcoming the other grasses in the mix making it all but impossible to ever put right with visitors hopping from one leg to the other looking for a toilet and the Council making grants for others to do what they once stopped them doing, perhaps for an entrepreneurial "Rent a Loo" company to set up alongside the coffee companies in High Town. The Town I love is literally in the effluent!

Score: 6

dplcv37
1:24pm Wed 16 Jul 14

Like megilleland said in a different post The Tories will get back in, caused by the voting being split between all the other parties. They will get in with a count lower than the combined vote of the opposition

So lets just hope everybody goes in the same direction...........
....................
....................
.............. and gets these tories out before they completely screw us all over,

Like megilleland said in a different post The Tories will get back in, caused by the voting being split between all the other parties. They will get in with a count lower than the combined vote of the opposition
So lets just hope everybody goes in the same direction...........
....................
....................
.............. and gets these tories out before they completely screw us all over,dplcv37

Like megilleland said in a different post The Tories will get back in, caused by the voting being split between all the other parties. They will get in with a count lower than the combined vote of the opposition

So lets just hope everybody goes in the same direction...........
....................
....................
.............. and gets these tories out before they completely screw us all over,

Ipsoregulated

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